Today’s quick review: U.S. Marshals. After the crash of his prison transport plane, prisoner Mark Roberts (Wesley Snipes) escapes from custody. Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), a respected U.S. Marshal who was on the plane when it crashed, calls in his team to hunt Roberts down. But the situation gets complicated when the State Department takes an interest in the case and assigns Agent John Royce (Robert Downey, Jr.) to keep an eye on Gerard.
U.S. Marshals is an action thriller and an indirect sequel to The Fugitive. Tommy Lee Jones returns as Samuel Gerard, along with the rest of his team of Marshals. His task this time around is to catch Mark Roberts, a dangerous, highly-trained man accused of murder. With tight pacing, decent star power, and a healthy dose of action, U.S. Marshals makes for an entertaining if somewhat shallow watch.
Fans of action movies will find U.S. Marshals to be a worthy sequel. Samuel Gerard receives more character development than in the first film, an opportunity that Tommy Lee Jones makes the most of. The action receives a boost in flash and quantity, swapping the realistic, desperate chase scenes of the original with more typical action fare. The main plot kicks in earlier, a competent spy mystery that goes well with the actual chase.
Fans of the personal side of The Fugitive will be disappointed. The premise of U.S. Marshals is lifted almost directly from its predecessor. But where Richard Kimble is a sympathetic, resourceful man, Mark Roberts has little in the way of character. The action lacks the realism of the original, opting instead for Hollywood stunts and shootouts.
Watch U.S. Marshals if you are an action fan looking for a solid entry into the genre. Though not as nuanced as The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals remains an entertaining watch in the typical action thriller mold.
6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for being an entertaining if conventional action thriller.